Broken Somebodies
by MudSkipper001
Summary: "What do you want from me?" Tess screamed at Theseus, who only laughed. "Why me? Why us?" "You are my playthings," Theseus said plainly. "I like to play with my food before I eat it." He gave that vicious smile that freaked Tess out. "We've never done anything to you!" Jay shouted. "Why?" "But you are all broken. And broken somebodies are easier to use than those who are fixed!"
1. Chapter 1

Tess was having a really crappy day. And by crappy, she means extra super stupendously crappy. Having been banned from Camp Jupiter (she didn't even want to go into how she had been exiled, just that it happened was bad enough for her), she and her best friend Jay had made their way across America so they could attend Camp Half-Blood. Everybody there would be Greek.

Ugh.

The Greeks and Romans might get along, but that didn't mean she liked them.

She didn't even know her Greek "siblings", if you would even call them that. If she even had any. The pact the Big Three had made was forgotten fifty years before, but none of them went lady crazy.

Except Jupiter. No, now he was Zeus to her. He had _tons _of kids. Like, fifteen just at the Roman camp. And all close in age. There were even two who had the same birth date. How that worked, Tess didn't know. In fact, she really didn't want to.

She could see the big tree that marked the entrance to the Greek camp up ahead, a brilliant gold shimmering around its trunk.

"We must be in the right place," Jay said as he bumped into one of his best friends. He had known Tess for years. And he wasn't about to drop his humorous but quiet spirit, even in exile.

"Must be," Tess replied, bumping him back.

Tess pulled out the magic map that Mercury… _Hermes_ had given her two years before on a quest. She and her two best friends, Jay, son of Hecate, and Colin, son of Pluto, had gone to save a young demigod who had been trapped by a Cyclopes. They had been informed that child would be important to their future. But Colin and Jay were her best friends. Really, her _only_ friends.

She hadn't really gotten along with the girls at Camp Jupiter. They thought she was weird because she didn't try to look beautiful or because she only wore jeans and t shirts. Most of the girls were all out designer clothes and ten gallons of make-up. The Twelfth Legion didn't have the magnificence it used to have. Instead, it had double the idiocy.

Those boys were the only ones who understood the lone daughter of Neptune. She didn't have any other siblings. Except Sammy. But that's a story for another time.

Tess missed Colin. A lot. And she had only been gone two weeks.

But she was happy that Jay was with her, even if he had been exiled, too. Being exiled together was better than being exiled alone.

They had wandered around for about a week, trying to find a place to stay. Tess had no family to go home to, and Jay's family situation was, well, complicated. Finally, Colin had reminded Tess of the Greek camp of demigods.

So Tess found her old map and whispered "Camp Half-Blood, Long Island, New York", and directions to the famous camp appeared on its surface. They had been slowly but surely making their way there ever since. Hitchhiking, buses, walking, bike, whatever they could find (or steal, in a couple of cases. She _did_ leave money behind. She felt guilty. Don't judge her.).

They had only encountered a few monsters on the way. Usually, being a child of the Big Three, there were tons of monsters that chased her. But for some reason, this trip was threateningly quiet. Something was up. It was almost like the calm before a storm.

But that wasn't what was on her mind while they began the trek up the hill. They finally made it to the top, and the sight took a moment to sink in, even though Tess had been there five other times, once for each year she had attended Camp Jupiter. Every year, the two camps met up twice, once at the Roman camp and once at the Greek to practice battle strategies. In case either were ever attacked. Not because of the fun of beating up the other camp.

Not at all.

Tess and Jay continued down the hill in an uncomfortable silence.

Tess threw a strip of beef jerky to the dragon guarding the Golden Fleece that the legendary Percy Jackson, Annabeth Chase, and Grover Underwood had retrieved from the terrible Polyphemus.

Even though they were Greeks, Tess was still fascinated with their stories and accomplishments. Percy freaking Jackson was her older brother! (He counted, but the others might not, depending on whether she liked them or not.)

"Hey, look, newbies!" someone called from the volleyball court in front of the Big House.

"Not a newbie," Tess whispered under her breath. "I bet we've been training longer than you." Jay gave her a glare and went back to walking. He knew that when she was in this kind of a mood there was nothing he could do to drag her from her misery.

One of the bubbly girls with a bow and quiver strapped to her back bounced up to them. Tess was ready to grab a throwing knife if needed. The girl had black hair and hot pink bangs. Her eyes were mostly green, but mixed with just enough brown to tell Tess they were hazel.

"Hello!" the girl said happily. "I'm Jordyn. Who are you?"

"This is Tess, daughter of Neptune, and I'm Jacob, Jay for short, son of Hecate," Jay quickly explained before Tess could make a sarcastic quip. Jay's hair fell into his face and Tess had given up a long time ago on trying to fix it for him. No matter what she did, his unruly locks always covered his forehead and couldn't be tamed.

"Neptune? I think you're at the wrong camp." She gave them a wicked smile and motioned for the two to follow her. Tess stayed planted to the ground. Jay rolled his eyes and glared at her again.

"Nope. I'm exactly where I mean to be. We were exiled from Camp Jupiter and didn't have anywhere else to go. So we came here. The fact that I don't want to be here is beside the point," Tess replied.

"Alright then," Jordyn said. "You don't have to get too irritated. Be happy!"

"I'll be happy when I'm somewhere I want to be." She gave her an angry smirk. "Are there any other children of Nep- Poseidon here?"

"Or Hecate?" Jay was always eager to meet his siblings, no matter who they were.

"Only Kylie, daughter of Poseidon. I bet you'll like her. There are a whole bunch of kids of Hecate. And I bet you'll both like it here."

"I'm willing to take bets," Tess said under her breath. Jay used the back of his hand to smack her shoulder.

"Follow me to the Big House, then."

Tess did move this time. Jordyn led the way up the steps and to the centaur and wine god playing pinochle.

"Chiron, this is-"

"Tess Matthews," Chiron interrupted. "And Jacob O'Conner. We've been expecting you."

"You have?" Tess asked, quite surprised, considering that she hadn't told anyone where she was going.

"We have," Bacchus cut in. No, Dionysus. She really needed to get these different names under control.

"So how, exactly?" Jay asked.

"One of your friends, Colin, I believe, gave us a heads-up," Chiron explained. "He said he wasn't sure, but that you had mentioned visiting us here. You are welcome, of course."

Tess smiled. Of course Colin had jumped to that conclusion. He knew Jay and herself better than anyone.

"Jordyn will show you around, Miss Matthews," Chiron announced. "Call in Cyrus to show Mr. O'Conner the camp. We will see you both again for dinner tonight." Chiron waved a hand, signaling their dismissal. The three teens walked outside.

"Cyrus!" Jordyn shouted. Dang, that girl was loud!

"You know what you're supposed to call me, right?" an older boy asked as he made his way off the volleyball court and toward the three teens. He had jet black hair with light spikes, electric blue eyes, and a strong build. Tan skin topped off his athletic look. Tess could make out a tattoo on his left bicep, like angel wings with a letter in the middle. She wondered what it meant.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Hotshot. You can show Jay here around camp. I'm showing Tess around," Jordyn replied sarcastically.

Cyrus smiled. "Great. Follow me!"

Jay and Tess exchanged glances as they were led away. Tess' facial expression screamed _help!_ and Jay's shouted _have fun!_

Tess groaned, but put a smile on her face anyway. She was used to that. She did it a lot.

"So this is you and your sister's cabin," Jordyn explained as they walked past. "Cabin Three."

It was a nice cabin, Tess guessed. As she walked by, she caught a whiff of the sea. She loved that smell. Being a child of Neptune at the Roman camp was hard at times, because most Romans hated the sea and everything that came with it, including her, but she would still rather be there than here.

"Over there, way back behind the cabins is the Temple of the Heroes of Olympus. That's where we make sacrifices and ask that our quests go well with no deaths before we head out."

"I know. There's an identical one in Camp Jupiter."

Everyone knew about the Temple of the Heroes of Olympus. Encased inside were the statues of those involved in the First and Second Great Prophecy, and those involved in the Second Titan War and the Second Giant War. Percy Jackson, Annabeth Chase, Grover Underwood, Thalia Grace, Nico di Angelo, Rachel Elizabeth Dare, Jason Grace, Piper McClean, Leo Valdez, Hazel Levesque, Frank Zhang, and Reyna something (Tess could never remember her last name), among others. They were her heroes. The Roman version of that temple was the same, except it held memories for Tess and her friends.

She missed home. But she couldn't go back now. She could never go back.

It was just another place no one wanted her. It _had_ to be just another place.

"Oh, right. Anyhow, back there somewhere is Zeus' Fist. We play Capture the Flag in the woods, don't go in there alone or the monsters will attack." She gave Tess a reassuring smile, as if warning a naive child.

"Of course." Tess gave her a sarcastic one in return.

"Make yourself comfortable in your cabin. I'll be back to take you to the dining pavilion." Jordyn gave her one more smile before heading back to her volleyball game.

Tess turned to look inside the Poseidon cabin. Great. She was stuck here with someone she didn't know.

She knocked on the door. No answer, so she went on inside. The decorations and beauty of the place made her stop to catch her breath.

She instantly loved the cabin. Metal seahorses swam across the ceiling and underwater plants thrived along the window sill. A small fountain sat in one corner, and a crack went down the middle as if it had been split open at one point. One bunk was messy and a suitcase and clothing were spread across it. It smelled like her favorite place in the world- the ocean. Sammy would have loved it here.

She smacked herself in the forehead. Don't think about Sammy. Don't think about him or you'll break down.

She was really tempted to call for Jay to come and help her get over this. He had helped her so many times to get through these episodes… but she needed to stand on her own two feet. So she calmly sat down on an empty bunk to catch her breath. Breath in, breath out.

Little did she know that she was being watched by people who were going to use her- and she didn't like being used.

"Is she the one we're looking for?" the young voice echoed off the stone walls. All three heads were turned toward the small fountain containing the image of the fourteen year old daughter of Neptune.

"Definitely. She will be perfect for our use," another voice, much deeper and scarier confirmed. His tall, lanky figure was all that could be made out of his body.

He laughed menacingly, and his lackeys joined in- two male and two female voices. One which would have sounded familiar to Tess and Jay had they been there. But they wouldn't have been able to make out his slightly muscular figure in the darkness.

"She and the others will be perfect to bring the truth to the masses. And then, then the final act can be put into action."

More laughter echoed through the cavern.

"But, uh, Theseus?" one of the girls asked.

"What do you want?" the angry voice replied.

"How will we get them to do what we want?"

"We use him," Theseus explained, the image changing to a familiar looking son of Hecate. "Tess will have no choice once we hold him."

The images slowly disappeared as their creator walked away, his laughter trailing behind him.

"Let the game begin!"


	2. Chapter 2

Cyrus, who happened to be a son of Zeus, seemed nice enough to Jay. He just wished he could have stayed with Tess.

Jay didn't like the thought of her being alone. He knew she could handle herself just fine, but he would rather her not have to. She had been on her own for so long… and he just didn't want her to be alone again. But she wasn't technically alone. She was with Jordyn. But Jay was still nervous.

"So this is the Hecate cabin," Cyrus said as he pointed at the blue and white cabin. It had two crossing torches over the door. "Bianca Lancaster is the counselor. I'm not sure where she is. Haven't seen her in a few days. You'll meet her… eventually. There are twelve children of Hecate living here, well, thirteen now."

"Okay, good," Jay said as Cyrus kept walking. He rolled up his sleeves to reveal a tattoo on his bicep. Angel wings with a J in the middle. "Cool tattoo."

"Thanks," Cyrus said with a grim look.

"What's the J stand for?" Of all the things Jay was, curious was one of his Top Five characteristics.

"Julia. My, uh, little sis."

"Oh, that's cool." Jay didn't know much about siblings. He didn't have any full siblings. And, while he thought his half siblings were pretty awesome, he still wanted a full on sibling. He guessed that was how he thought of Tess and Colin. But he'd never tell them that.

He would never hear the end of it.

"She, you know, uh, died. A few years back."

"Oh. I'm sorry." Jay didn't want to be rude, but he asked the question anyway. "How old was she?"

"Three." Cyrus looked like he was about to cry. Jay decided this was a good time to back off.

"So, uh, what's that?" Jay pointed to a wall that seemed to have some kind of glowing substance flowing down its sides.

"The lava climbing wall," Cyrus said, obviously relieved that he no longer had to speak of his past.

"Lava, huh?" Jay smirked. "Go big or go home, right?"

Cyrus chuckled. "I guess."

A group of teenage boys walked by. "Cyrus!" one of them shouted.

"What's up, man?" another asked as the boys surrounded Cyrus and Jay. "Who's the new guy?" The third stayed silent.

"This is Jay, son of Hecate. New recruit," Cyrus explained.

"Ain't that Roman?" the first asked, pointing to Jay's tattoo.

"Yeah. Something about being exiled," Cyrus answered.

"Maybe we should introduce ourselves," the second boy said. "I'm Nathanial Crux, son of Hades. I'm sixteen. This is Jaden Parker, son of Thanatos, fifteen." He pointed to the quiet boy in the back.

The younger boy was tall for fifteen, at least three inches taller than Jay, who happened to be five foot six inches. He wore a red t-shirt and jeans, his black hair tucked under a beanie. What was most unsettling to Jay were his red eyes. No kid should have eyes that color.

"Last, and especially least, Danny Snell, son of Prometheus, also sixteen." Danny seemed to be angrier than anyone Jay knew. But not particularly smart. His eyes flitted around, and he looked at the simplest things with wonder. He also had black hair tucked under a black hood, but crystal eyes instead of red, which wasn't as bad as the red, but not exactly normal. He was 5' 11" at the least. A blood red scar ran from the corner of his left eye to the middle of his left cheek. Jay wondered how he got it.

Nathanial himself had short brown hair unlike his colleagues, and golden eyes. What was up with this camp and the weird eye colors? Was there a club, or something? Anyway, he was tall also, probably about 5'9". Not quite as tall as Danny. Must have been a club for that, too. (Which Jay wouldn't be invited to join.)

"Cool," Jay said. "I'm Jacob O'Conner, Jay for short, son of- well, you already know." He shook hands with Nathanial. He offered his hand to the other two, but both ignored it. It slowly returned to his side. "Okay, then. So, Nathanial, how long have you been at camp?"

"Three years. I came on my mother's orders."

"Well, I'd better be getting Jay back to his friend," Cyrus cut in. "Almost time for dinner. Wouldn't want him to be separated from her for too long."

"Oh, so your friend's a her, is she?" Nathanial jeered. He even gave Jay the look. You know, the look that people give you when you have a crush?

"No, we're just friends," Jay said defensively. The boys just laughed.

"I bet they'll live happily ever after!" Cyrus declared. Nathanial and Cyrus stood on both sides of Jay, towering over him and giving him plenty of looks to last the rest of his days.

"I don't like Tess!" Jay said sharply.

"Oooo," Nathanial teased. "You don't have to get so defensive about it!"

Jay rolled his eyes. "Come on, guys, lay off."

"Fine," Cyrus and Nathanial replied together.

"Follow me to the... uh, who's her godly parent?" Nathanial asked as he began to skip, then stopped.

"Neptune."

"To the Neptune cabin!" He began to skip again and Cyrus joined him on his plight. Jay just shook his head and looked to the other two boys. Danny was glaring at him as if he was trying to read his mind, so he turned to Jaden, the slightly less intimidating of the two.

"So, uh, Jaden, right?"

"Right," Jaden replied quietly.

"They sure are dorks, huh?"

"Yeah."

The walked in uncomfortable silence for a few moments.

"Um, what's your favorite part about camp?" Jay tried again.

"Probably Capture the Flag."

"Capture the Flag?"

"It's Friday," Jaden said plainly as he walked faster to catch up to his buddies. Jay just hurried to get even with Nathanial and Cyrus again, who had stopped skipping and had begun to sing (badly, I may add) the K-I-S-S-I-N-G song.

Jay shook his head. What had he gotten himself into?

Tess wandered out of her cabin as soon as she got all her things put away. She decided to look for an archery range or something of the like to practice with her throwing knives. She had a pack of ten knives- four small, four medium, and two large. She had always loved the throwing knives better than any other weapon she could find in the armory because they worked for both long and short distances.

She had to work to throw them right and even longer to throw them well. She made sure she practiced at least once a day.

She finally came across an open field that was mostly empty of campers.

Good. She didn't really want to socialize.

Tess tightened her knife belt around her waist.

She found a target and began practicing. At first, she was having trouble getting them to stick at all, but soon enough, most found the center of the target. She smiled and went to retrieve them for the ninth time when she heard the bang, saw the flash of light. Shouts and screams followed soon after. By what she could here, she came to a conclusion.

Somebody was in the camp that shouldn't be.

Many campers were gathering around the volleyball pit. Tess could see smoke rising above it. She shoved her knives into her belt and ran across the field and toward the smoke.

She saw Jay and a group of other boys rushing in the same direction among others. Jay spotted her and made his way to her, Cyrus right behind him giving him strange looks.

"What's happening?" he asked in a hushed voice.

"I don't know," Tess replied.

They rushed together to the pit. Neither could see over the crowd already gathered there.

"Your Oracle!" a woman screamed from the center. "I must speak with your Oracle!"

No one seemed to know what to do.

Finally, Cyrus broke through the crowd with Tess and Jay following close behind.

A charred circle had taken place of what had once been the volleyball net. A woman stood at its center in an ancient Greek dress. Her eyes were wide with fright. She shook and seemed to be afraid of everything. But she sure was loud.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" Cyrus asked in an authoritative voice. Things like leadership and taking charge came easily to the children of the sky god.

"I must see your Oracle!" she shrieked. "Your Oracle! Your Oracle!"

"I'm the Oracle!" a voice proclaimed from somewhere to the left of Tess. A path was cleared for the young girl who hurried to the center. "I am Olivia Test, the Oracle. What do you wish?"

"A prophecy! A prophecy! A prophecy has come to light!" the woman cried.

"Who are you and what is your business here?" Cyrus asked again.

"Melpomeme! I am Melpomeme! A prophecy has come to light!" she screamed.

"Melpomeme?" Voices raised with the questions. Who is Melpomeme? Why is she here?

One of the Athena kids stepped up. "Melpomeme is the goddess of tragedy." He took his place again amongst his brothers and sisters.

Olivia stepped closer to the woman. "What prophecy?"

"A prophecy has come to light! Those who are broken, prepare to take flight!" Melpomeme spun in a circle. "The tragedy! The misery! The five are here! The wicked have already begun their strike! The traitor! He is here! The pain! The misery!" She fell to the ground in a heap.

A green smoke enveloped her body. She stood once again and began to speak, this time in a different voice, a voice that was not her own.

_"To the banished, the naive, the outcast Five,_

_ Travel to the place where the horse fools the connived,_

_ Tragedy and misery will lead the way,_

_ Lost shall be found and old will bay,_

_ Save the mortals first, those of your heritage last,_

_ Destroy or save, the choice falls to the harassed."_

Having delivered her piece, the goddess fell to the ground again, muttering "The prophecy has come to light." She soon disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

"Did anyone write that down? Because I didn't get it," Cyrus said plainly. "What?" he asked when he received many a glare. "Too soon?"


	3. Chapter 3

"What does this new prophecy even mean?" Jordyn asked.

"Not new," a daughter of Apollo, Kristen, pointed out. She was quite short, and quite slim. She had a few piercings and a small thin scar across the bridge of her nose. She had long dark brown hair and olive-green eyes. "She kept saying 'a prophecy has come to light'."

"So? What does it mean?" Jay said irritably.

"What was it?" Cyrus asked. "I really didn't get it down the first time."

"_To the banished, the naive, the outcast Five,_

_ Travel to the place where the horse fools the connived,_

_ Tragedy and misery will lead the way,_

_ Lost shall be found and old will bay,_

_ Save the mortals first, those of your heritage last,_

_ Destroy or save, the choice falls to the harassed," _Olivia recited.

"We've got to figure out who this is talking about and what they have to stop," Tess said authoritatively. "So who are the banished, naive, and the outcast Five?"

"Who put you in charge?" Jay asked without thinking. Tess glared at him as his cheeks turned red.

"Who made you annoying?" Tess jeered.

"Oh, be quite." He nudged her with his shoulder and she nudged back with a smirk.

"You first."

"Can we _pu-lease_ get back on subject?" Cyrus whined.

"Shut up," Tess and Jay demanded in unison.

"Let's get back to the prophecy," Chiron said.

"I've got an idea," Olivia said. "Who do we know that fits the bill of 'banished'?"

Everybody's eyes turned toward Jay and Tess.

"I think _they_ are part of the Five," Olivia announced, pointing at the two friends.

"Wait, _us?_" Jay said, stunned.

"Yes, you. You two are exiled from Camp Jupiter, making you the banished."

"It makes sense," Chiron said.

"So who's the naive?" Nathanial asked.

"That could be you or Cyrus," Kristen said.

Nathanial glared at her. "I'm being serious."

"So am I."

The two stared at each other for a few moments.

"Okay, let's get back on track," Cyrus quickly suggested before the two could get into a bigger fight. Those two really hated each other. For some reason or another. No one really knew why.

"Who is the naive? For real now," Nathanial said again.

"Maybe the most foolish?" Olivia suggested. "I don't mean certain people in the room."

"What about the youngest?" Jay said. "The youngest camper? Naive, as in naive compared to the rest of us."

Everyone nodded their head in forced agreement.

"So who's the youngest camper?" Tess asked.

"What about Anna?" Cyrus suggested. "She's the youngest who's eleven."

"No, Harley's only ten," Nathanial said.

"What about Penny?" Olivia said. "She's about a month younger than Harley."

"Everybody agree that Penny is the youngest?" Tess asked.

Once again, everybody nodded.

"Alright, let's bring her in," Olivia said. Kristin ran off to find her. "So, who's the outcast?"

"There are actually quite a few people who don't fit in here," Nathanial pointed out. "There's no way telling who the actual outcasts we're looking for are. And besides, aren't we all really outcasts here? You know, the whole Greek godly parent thing kind of freaks people out."

"We've got to find a way to bring that number down," Tess said. "Who inside out own camp is considered an outcast?"

"Sons of Hades, Thanatos, uh, you know, scary gods like that," Cyrus said.

"Well, who here is a son of Hades or Thanatos?"

"Nathanial is a son of Hades. And Jaden. He's a son of Thanatos."

"Then aren't they the farthest outcasts?"

Nathanial wouldn't look at Tess. Jay didn't blame him. Being accused of being a freak didn't exactly sit well.

"Tess," Jay said in a warning tone. Tess gave him a small glare that no one noticed.

"So, the two of them, me, Jay, and Penny will get ready in the morning, yes?"

"Again, who put you in charge?" Jay asked.

"Again, who made you so annoying?"

"I'm sure it's partially your fault."

Tess stuck her tongue out at her friend.

"Could you two get a room?" Cyrus asked with a whine in his voice.

"Shut up!" both Jay and Tess declared in unison.

"Learn some manners!"

Tess rolled her eyes. "We'll leave in the morning."

"Where are we even going?" Nathanial asked.

"_Tragedy and misery will lead the way_," Olivia quoted. "Follow the pain and you'll find your way."

"There is pain everywhere," Jay pointed out. "Every town, every state. Where would we even start?"

"Probably wherever our Oracle leads us," Jaden said quietly. Everyone's eyes turned to Olivia.

"I don't know where you should go," Olivia announced, "but I will try my best to figure it out."

"What if this prophecy isn't even happening now?" Jay suggested. "Remember the kid who tried to jump the prophecy about Alaska, the land beyond the gods? His whole group of charges died on the way there."

"Let's hope we're not jumping the gun," Olivia said. "But if Melpomeme came now, I'd say it means it's happening now."

"Then it is settled," Chiron announced. "Tess, Jay, Nathanial, Penny, and Jaden will leave in the morning." Everybody quickly stood and ran out the door.

"I hope this quest doesn't kill us," Jay whispered to Tess.

"This is a good chance to prove ourselves here!" Tess said. "We can't fail."

* * *

><p>"So my little 'prophecy' is working," Theseus proclaimed in a happy voice. "Perfect. They will be on their way here soon. Although, the youngest wasn't one I was expecting. I wanted that son of Hephaestus, Harley. But the daughter of Demeter will have to do." His laughter echoed off the cave walls once again.<p>

"Are we sure Tess will be on our side?" Danny asked, having hurried away from Camp Half-Blood to make the meeting.

"She won't have a choice when we're holding everything we are over her head," Roxy, daughter of Tartarus said as if Danny was stupid. She blew a bubble with her gum and it popped.

"Don't talk to me like that!" Danny shouted in anger. He had a, uh, "little" temper problem.

"Calm down, Daniel! I can hurt you and you know it!" The two were facing off.

"Oh, sure!"

"I can!"

"Can't!"

"Can!"

"Can't!"

"SHUT UP!" Theseus screamed. The son of Thanatos was terrifying when angered. Both demigods shut their traps instantly. "You cannot be destroying the camps and the world when you are fighting amongst yourselves!" Theseus regained his composure and put his hands together. "Let us concentrate on making the world snap, alright?"

His other two lackeys stood in the back with their heads aimed at the ground.

"Colin, call your friends. Find out where they are going and what they are doing," Theseus ordered. The son of Pluto nodded and rushed off to find his monster-proof phone (created by Leo Valdez, by the way).

"Our plan is going nicely. If you don't destroy yourselves in the process, this will go smoothly and end in our favor!"


	4. Chapter 4

"Capture the Flag is tonight!" Chiron called through the chatter of the kids eating dinner. "Prepare to play!"

"Capture the Flag?" Tess said questioningly to Kylie, daughter of Poseidon. They were the only two at the Poseidon table, which kind of bummed Tess out. Jay had to sit at the Hecate table, and that meant they couldn't eat together like they usually did back at Camp Jupiter.

"Oh, yeah! We've teamed up with the Athena cabin. They tend to like having us on their team. And we are also teamed with Apollo, Zeus, and Hermes," Kylie said. Her black curly hair stuck out under her silver beanie.

"That doesn't really explain the whole Capture the Flag thing."

"You'll see. They usually put us on defense. We'll just have to see what Roxy says."

"Roxy?"

"Daughter of Athena. Or so they say. I don't think she is, but whatever, right? She's the counselor of the Athena cabin. She calls the shots."

"Great." Tess hated when she couldn't make her own plan.

"Well, we'll see. What weapon do you use?"

"Celestial bronze throwing knives. You?"

"Bow and arrow. Somehow."

"What do you mean, somehow?"

"Most children of Poseidon, or Neptune, aren't that skilled with archery."

"You must be a descendant of Apollo or something," Tess stated plainly.

Kylie laughed. "Sure. We'll go with that." The two girls hurried to finish their dinners.

Chiron hammered his hoof on the marble.

"Heroes!" he announced. "You know the rules. The creek is the boundary line. The entire forest is fair game. All magic items are allowed. The banner must be prominently displayed, and have no more than two guards. Prisoners may be disarmed, but may not be bound or gagged. No killing or maiming is allowed. I will serve as referee and battlefield medic. Arm yourselves!" The tables were suddenly filled with all kinds of equipment. Tess easily found armor that suited her well.

A girl and two boys ran in with a silver banner about ten feet long, glistening gray, with a painting of a barn owl above an olive tree.

From the opposite side of the pavilion, three more kids ran in with an identical banner in size, but a gaudy red, painted with a bloody spear and a boar's head.

"Do Ares and Athena always lead the teams?" Tess asked.

"No. But most of the time," Kylie said.

"So we're taking the Ares flag?"

"For tonight." She smiled slyly. "Every cabin is really fighting for themselves. But we needed somebody to help. Oh, and by the way, are you any good at strategies?"

"I have my moments."

"Good. We'll need that. The two of us are _going_ to get our hands on that flag. Take the blue," Kylie told her, grabbing a helmet with a blue plume on top. Tess did the same, finally finding one that fit. She saw Jay pick up a helmet with a red plume sticking up.

He made his way over to her, looking, well, hot, in Tess' opinion. His unruly hair stuck out from under the frame of his helmet, and Tess could see the muscles going up his arms.

But she would _never_ date that idiot. Ever. It wouldn't happen. So stop accusing her that she will, okay? She doesn't like being judged.

"Looks like we're enemies," Jay said as he sheathed his sword, Phantom. It was a celestial bronze leaf shape that had been forged by Vulcan and blessed by Hecate to be used for magical purposes. Tess had seen it do some strange things in difficult situations.

"We're so gonna beat you," Tess said as she tightened her knife belt around her waist.

"You wish!"

"You're just scared."

"Sure I am. You keep thinking that."

"Uh-huh. When we whoop your butts, you owe me an apology."

"No, you'll owe me."

"Keep dreaming."

The two parted ways as the teams were split. Ares had allied themselves with everyone Athena hadn't: Dionysus, Hades, Aphrodite, Demeter, Hephaestus, and all the other minor gods and goddesses. Dionysus' kids were actually good athletes, but there were only four of them. Demeter's kids had the edge with nature skills and outdoor stuff, but they weren't very aggressive. Aphrodite's kids were putting on make up to battle, so Tess wasn't too worried about them. Hephaestus' kids weren't pretty, and there were about ten of them. Tess thought they might be a problem. That left the Ares cabin, fifteen of the biggest, ugliest, meanest kids on Long Island.

Tess hadn't gotten along very well with the children of Mars, but they seemed to at least have their heads attached to their bodies. These Ares kids seemed insane. Merciless. Ruthless.

"Blue team, forward!" a girl Kylie introduced as Roxy called. The blue team began to march toward the south woods. The red team headed north.

The woods were dark, with fireflies popping in and out of view. Kylie and Tess were stationed with three Apollo kids. They were the distraction.

Tess and Kylie didn't exactly like that.

Blue-plumed soldiers set up for their plan of attack. Two Athena kids stood guard, with four Hermes surrounding the area. Apollo kids were stationed around the flag in the trees to keep away unwanted visitors. More Hermes kids were stationed across the creek. Roxy and three of the Athena kids would run around the east side of the woods and three more around the west. Tess' group would run straight down the middle. This plan insured that an Athena kid would get the flag. Tess didn't like that. Poseidon would be getting that flag if she had any say about it. So she devised her own plan, which she shared with Kylie as they were walking to their position behind the Apollo kids.

"Oh, when you said you have your moments, you meant you're really good at it, didn't you?" Kylie asked when Tess finished her explanation.

"Maybe." Tess liked Kylie. She was a pretty awesome demigod. For a Greek.

"Let's get this show on the road!" Kylie shouted as she ran up to join the Apollo kids. Kristin, Jordyn, and another boy Tess didn't know. Tess hurried to catch up as they took their final position.

A conch horn blew and the game began.

Jordyn led the five demigods straight through the forest. As they crept upon Zeus' Fist, where Roxy had guessed the flag would be, they spotted the Hecate cabin- all of them- positioned somewhere around the clearing.

The blood red flag was at the very top of the Fist.

"So much for only two guards," Kristin muttered.

"You three take that side," Tess whispered. "Kylie and I will go to the right. They'll think we're the main attack. Don't make it look like you gave up too easy."

"Aye aye, Captain," Jordyn said before taking her siblings down the left flank.

"Now for our plan," Tess said under her breath. Kylie took Tess' hand and they both concentrated on the same thing- the ground shaking, breaking apart. Everything tumbling around. But before the earthquake could commence, Tess was ripped away from Kylie. She stood face to face with Jay.

"Hello, there," he said with a triumphant smile. Two other Hecate campers stood with him. Kylie immediately drew her bow and pointed an arrow at Jay.

"What's up?" Tess asked smugly.

"Not much. You?" Jay thought he had beat her.

Wrong.

Tess drew a knife with her left hand and cut Jay across the palm of his hand. He jerked back, but just as quickly drew his sword.

"Let's go, sweetheart!" he shouted. The Hecate campers stood back, watching the Romans circle each other. Kylie seemed to be concentrated on something, but what, Tess didn't know.

Tess was used to leading an army and Jay was used to following orders. Neither were bad fighters. Tess pulled her largest knife.

"Sweetheart?"

"Eh, I'll admit, it doesn't suit you."

"Tess, duck!" Kylie shouted. Tess didn't hesitate and hit the deck. Jay was squirted with water that fazed him for a moment and Tess rolled away. Tess and Kylie sprinted toward the flag. Forty feet of empty clearing and ten Hecate children sprinting to catch them.

"Now!" Tess shouted. Kylie grabbed her hand and they willed the earth to shake. Soon they were the only ones on solid ground. The Hecate kids lost their balance and fell. Jay was on the straight path right behind them. "Keep going! I'll hold him off!"

Tess turned to face Jay and Kylie kept running.

The Athena kids could be seen coming up to the clearing to see the wreckage of the earthquake the daughters of the sea god had caused. They saw Kylie climbing up Zeus' Fist and knew they had been betrayed. Trying to cover their mistake, Roxy ran as fast as she could once the ground stabilized.

"Tess!" Jay shouted. "Behind you!"

She turned, the thought never even crossing her mind that he was tricking her.

A huge black dog was jumping toward her. Before she could move, the creature's claws ran down her back. She rolled to the side and Jay dove after her. He landed next to her and helped her get up as the hellhound turned on them again. It growled.

"Grey Wolf!" Tess shouted.

The Greeks looked confused, but Jay understood. Tess ran to the right and Jay ran to the left. The hellhound followed Tess and Jay curved so he was behind the creature. Tess pulled a knife out of her belt and threw it. It hit the animal on the shoulder, but the hellhound didn't disintegrate. Jay stabbed the creature in the butt.

_Then _it disintegrated.

On the bright side, Kylie had the flag and was half way to their side of the woods before anyone even noticed it was gone.

"Thanks," Tess said to Jay as the conch horn blew again, signaling the end of the game.

"No problem." He sheathed his sword again and Tess went to pick up her knife that had clattered to the ground when the hellhound vanished.

"What was that even doing inside the camp's borders?" Tess wondered. "Isn't the shield protecting the camp meant to keep those out?"

"I read somewhere that you can summon monsters," Jay said. "Someone wanted it here. They _meant_ to hurt someone."

"Creepy."

"That means someone wants someone dead."

"That's even creepier."

"Are you alright?" Jay looked at her back. "It's not that deep, just long."

"Better than getting shredded to pieces."

"Let's get you to Chiron."

"No, I'm fine."

"Tess, we are not doing this. You are bleeding kind of badly. Let's go. No arguing."

"No." Tess stayed planted to the spot. They had arguments like this whenever Tess got injured. She didn't like help and she definitely didn't want it. "I'll just go to the lake."

Jay sighed. He knew he wasn't going to win this battle.

"Fine." He helped her get to the lake, despite her protests. Soon all her wounds were healed.

"It's almost ten. That means lights out," Jay said.

"See you tomorrow," Tess said as she began the trek to her cabin.

"See you."

Tess wasn't sure what to think of her little team of Greeks. There was Nathanial, who was okay, then Jaden, who liked to keep to himself. Then Penny. She was a sweet kid.

"Where are we going?" Penny asked Tess as the two walked up the hill.

"Don't know yet," Tess admitted. "Hopefully we're doing the right thing here."

"How did you get here?" Penny asked quietly. "Aren't you... _Roman?_" She said Roman as if it was some horrible disease.

"I _am_ Roman. I was... banished from Camp Jupiter, and my friend Jay and I came here. We left a lot of friends- well, _a_ friend- behind. I just hope I won't be outcast forever."

"Do you, you know, _like_ like Jay?"

"What?"

"Are you and Jay boyfriend and girlfriend?"

"No, no, no, no, no." Tess shouldered her pack. "No. That would never happen."

"I think he likes you."

"No way."

"Yes."

"You're, what, ten? Does that give you precedence over these matters?"

"What's precedence mean?"

"Never mind." Tess shook her head.

"Were you a leader at the Roman camp?"

"You're a curious one. I was centurion. Leader of the Fifth Cohort."

"Isn't that where Jason Grace was raised?"

"It sure was. Hazel Levesque and Frank Zhang were also members of that cohort."

"And Percy Jackson." Penny smiled with pride. "He was Greek, you know. Wasn't he also your brother?"

"He would be more like a half-brother, but yeah."

"Doesn't he have grandchildren at Camp Half-Blood?"

"And Camp Jupiter."

"Cool. I've met the youngest. Her name's Maddie. She's a cutie." Penny heaved her bag back onto her shoulder.

"How old is she?"

"Three."

"Is that bag giving you trouble?"

"Little bit."

"Let me help," Tess said as she took Penny's bag.

"No!" Penny yanked it back. "I can do it myself."

"Okay, okay, no reason to get offended."

The girls reached the top of the hill where Chiron and Olivia were waiting. Jay was leaning against Thalia's tree, Jaden was putting a celestial bronze tip onto an arrow, and Nathanial was swinging a pure black sword around.

"Are we ready to go yet?" Nathanial whined as he vanquished an imaginary enemy.

"Not quite," Olivia said. "I couldn't find anything for you to lead your way."

"What if we just follow the misery? First terrible thing we see in the newspaper, we check out?" Jay suggested.

"Sounds good to me," Tess agreed.

"We have to make our offerings at the Temple of the Heroes of Olympus," Jaden said.

The team began the walk to the Temple. They took a minute to look at the beauty of the building from the outside. Murals of the Seven's battles and quests were inscribed along the marble walls. Great columns stood high to hold up the ceiling. The enormous door was decorated with the symbols of all the gods: some lightning there, olive branches here, and over there a trident. The great marble staircase leading to the doorway took our heroes at least ten minutes to climb.

Once inside, even more murals decorated the walls. Different pictures of the monsters the heroes fought were along the walls as well. Giant statues of the Seven, Nico di Angelo, Gleeson Hedge, Rachel Elizabeth Dare, Luke Castellan, and others were placed all around the temple.

The five kids split up, each going to a different statue. They were each required to place something of great value at their favorite hero's feet. They could retrieve it when they returned- _if_ they returned. It was to show that they were putting their trust in that hero. Hopefully the gods would bless them.

Penny hurried over to the statue of Hazel Levesque. Hazel had been hated by many and feared by all. Her power over the Mist had inspired Penny to be just like her.

Out of her bag, Penny carefully lifted her favorite doll. It had been her grandmother's. The paint was fading and the poor thing's hair was falling out. She placed it under Hazel's statue and gave the doll a quick kiss on the head before turning to run out again.

Jaden approached the statue of Leo Valdez carefully. Leo had been an outcast among his own friends. That's how Jaden felt a lot of the time. His friends feared him because he was a son of Thanatos. They were afraid of him. Jaden quickly placed a picture of him and his mom- his real mom. He quickly turned away so he wouldn't cry.

Jay confidently strode to the feet of Grover Underwood. The satyr had been leading the most powerful demigods to camp for a while. Thalia Grace, Percy Jackson, among others. Jay kind of felt like he was leading Tess and Colin where they needed to go, too. He loved them like siblings, but sometimes he wished others saw him as important as Tess or as collected as Colin. He looked at the bracelet around his wrist. Tess had given it to him on his birthday the year they met. It was the most important thing he had brought with him, and he planned to keep it. But it was all he had to give up, so he set it down and walking away just as confidently as he had come over.

Nathanial quietly tiptoed over to the statue of Nico di Angelo, almost as if he was worried the statue would stir if he was too loud. He dug around for his greatest possession in his pocket. He carefully pulled out one of his mother's gifts to him- something his father had given to her. It was a small piece of gold, supposed to protect whoever owned it even if it wasn't with them. From what, Nathanial wasn't sure. He placed it carefully under Nico's feet, having almost worshiped the son of Hades since he learned about him. He had overcome his differences with Percy Jackson, who had promised to protect his sister, and fought with him to defeat Gaea, dying in the process. Nathanial hoped someday he would have the opportunity to give his life for someone else- the greater good. That was the way he wanted to go. Protecting someone else. Valuing someone else over himself. He saw it as a great sign of honor. He quietly jogged back to the door to start their quest. Whether he would ever come to retrieve that piece of gold, he didn't know. And he wasn't sure he wanted to.

Tess walked slowly to Percy Jackson's statue. She really didn't like this part of the quest. She had to leave something of great value to her. Her hand instantly went to her neck. No, she couldn't give up that.

_But you have to,_ the voice in her head said.

Tess, albeit reluctantly, undid her necklace from its place around her neck. Her older brother's yin and yang necklace to be exact. He had left it the day he disappeared. Why, Tess never figured out. \ So she could have it? That didn't make much sense, because he hadn't really been all that concerned for her well-fare when he took off. Did he simply forget it? That didn't make sense either, since he always wore it, even when he was asleep. She simply didn't know.

She placed it at Percy's feet, hoping that it would still be there when she returned. She began to turn away, but decided to move the necklace under the statue's foot. Maybe no one would see it there.

She quickly turned and raced back out of the temple before she changed her mind and grabbed the prized item. She saw the others already done with their business in the temple and hurried after them up the hill. Jay turned back to see her and gave her a reassuring smile. That was all Tess needed to get over her loss. Her best friend at her side.

* * *

><p>Tess was running. That's all she could think about. Running up the hill. Running down the hill. Running across the field, through the trees. Her legs were on fire and it was becoming hard to breath. Running up the next hill.<p>

A house sat on the top. It was falling apart at the seams. Paint was peeling. Holes showed the interior of the building.

Tess hurried inside and slammed the door behind her. She hurried up the stairs and into the first bedroom. She shut and locked the door. Tess leaned on the wall and slid to the floor in relief. She caught her breath and held her head in her hands.

She jumped as someone pounded on the door.

"Tess!" a voice cried. "Tess, help me!"

"You're not real!" Tess shouted as she covered her ears. "You are _not_ real!"

"Tess, please, he's going to kill me!"

"You're not real," she muttered. "You're not really here."

Tess shrieked as her older brother knocked the door over.

"You're not real, Sammy!" Tess screamed. She slapped her hands over her ears again. "You're not real!"

Tess snapped awake.

Tess, calm down!" Jay said as she fell against him. She fought to get away, not realizing the dream was over. She didn't see Jay holding her reassuringly, she saw Sammy holding her down again, begging for mercy.

"Get off!" she screamed.

"Tess, it's okay," Jay whispered in her ear, his arms securely around hers to keep her from punching him. Again. "I'm right here." Jay's voice broke through her fight and flight instinct and she slowly stopped wrestling with him. She leaned into his strong grip, his familiarness, and held onto it for dear life. It brought her back to the present and out of her nightmare.

Her best friend was just magical like that.

Everyone was staring at her.

She wiped her cheeks of the tears and sat up, taking a deep breath.

"Sorry," she said quietly. "Nightmare."

"You know, demigod nightmares are usually important," Nathanial pointed out. "What happened?"

"Nothing important," she quickly replied. "I've had that nightmare since I was a little kid."

"So who isn't real?" Penny asked innocently.

"No one. It doesn't matter," Tess said.

"Who's Sammy?" Nathanial asked.

Tess glared at him. "Don't ever ask me that again."

Nathanial nodded, throwing his hands in the air in surrender. He still wasn't entirely convinced that her dream had been nothing, but the death glare of Tess Matthews was one he decided he didn't want thrown in his direction.

* * *

><p>"Okay, let's go find a news channel or paper," Tess said. "We'll split up. Cover more ground. Jay, Penny, and I will go north, you guys go south." She pulled out her monster-proof cell phone. "Call if you find anything."<p>

"What are we looking for?" Jaden asked.

"Anything bad."

"We're in New York," Nathanial said. "Bad things happen all the time."

"Look for anything significant."

"What's significant?"

"The most miserable thing you can find."

* * *

><p>Theseus paced the cold stone floors. Nathanial wasn't supposed to be among those who took up the quest. His only friend. Sure, there was Roxy, but she didn't really count in his mind. She was only there because she was weak. Many would say she is strong because she has never cried and was raised in, well, hell. But Theseus knew the truth. She was covering insecurities. It was all an act. Much like Tess Matthews.<p>

But Nathanial? He was supposed to stay out of it.

That was Nathanial for you. Always getting involved.

A knock came from the door. "Theseus?" Bianca called. "I brought what you asked for."

"Come in," Theseus said.

The young girl hurriedly set the guns down on his bed and turned to leave.

"Oh, and Bianca?" She turned, her blue eyes almost fearful. Theseus was scary. Even he had to admit that. But it was for a good reason. Vengeance was all he had left in life. He planned to use it to the fullest. "Bring our little helper to me. We have things to discuss."

Bianca nodded and left the room. Theseus turned his attention back to the bowl in front of him.

"Nathanial," Theseus muttered. "Why do you always have to get involved?"

"You called?" the boy asked from the door.

"Ah, yes. Come in, please. Sit," Theseus said with a cold grin. He sat, though he looked almost afraid to. "We need to have a chat. About Tess and Jay."

"Okay. Why?" the young boy asked.

"Their weaknesses. What are they?"

He thought for a moment. "Each other."

Theseus gave him that cold grin yet again. "Colin Russell, you sure are a good alliance! Now, I need you to do something."


	5. Chapter 5

Jay, Penny, and Tess headed north, checking every newsstand and television they could find.

"What's that?" Penny asked as they passed a staircase leading underground.

"That's the subway," Tess replied.

"Subway?" Penny stated questioningly. "What's that?"

"It's an underground train," Jay told her.

She starts skipping. "Cool!" Penny paused, as if she was listening for something. "They say there has been an accident."

"Uh..." Tess and Jay exchange worried glances. "_Who_ says?" Jay asked.

"The bees." Penny resumed her skipping.

"The... the bees?"

"I like the bees. They help me. See?" She pointed to a swarm of them, and followed the insects.

"Is that... is that a Demeter thing?" Tess asked Jay in a hushed tone.

"Must be." The two follow after the young girl and her 'bee-friends' toward the accident they claim to have seen.

* * *

><p>Nathanial and Jaden roamed the streets of Manhatten. They found different news articles talking about gruesome deaths, but none seemed miserable enough. And that sounded horrible, but... it just was.<p>

"Maybe we can sense the misery?" Nathanial suggested. "Death and misery kind of go hand in hand, right?"

"Maybe." Jaden didn't really seem to agree.

Nathanial tried it anyway. He could fell a lot of death, but he just couldn't sense misery. It wasn't possible.

Jaden was staring at him like he thought Nathanial was crazy.

"Would you just try it?"

Jaden begrudgingly shut his eyes and Nathanial could feel him searching. Jaden suddenly clutched his head in pain. "Ah!"

"What?"

The pain seemed to lessen as Jaden stood straight again.

"I think I found another son of Thanatos," Jaden announced. "He didn't want me peeking around. But," he continued, "I know where he is. 1342 Sycamore."

"Anything else?"

"He said your name."

* * *

><p>"Jay?" Tess called to her friend. They searched through the alley the bees had led them toward.<p>

"Nothing!" he replied. "Got anything, Penny?"

Penny didn't reply.

"Penny?" Tess shouted. "Penny!"

The young girl was nowhere to be seen. Led off by her bees.

"We lost her? Already?" Tess exclaimed. "To _bees? _We've benn on this quest for, what? An hour? Maybe two? And we've already managed to lose the youngest kid. To freaking bees! How could we- How could I-"

"Tess, stop," Jay commanded as he put his hands on her shoulders. "Stop worrying, stop rambling. We'll find her."

"Hello, Tess Matthews. Hello, Jacob O'Connor," a voice called from the other end of the alley.

Jay and Tess exchanged glances as they drew their weapons.

"Who's there?" Tess called into the darkness.

"That's a stereotypical way to get killed," Jay said.

Tess swatted at him only making contact with her fingers. She stayed focused on the mysterious voice and looked for its source.

"If you want to see the girl," the voice said quietly, "then you will come to 1342 Sycamore Road, demigods."

Footsteps receded.

A figure moved through the dark, and Tess ran after it. "Hey!"

Jay scurried to catch up as Tess weaved around corners and hurtled over garbage to catch the mysterious silhouette.

"Tess!" Jay called after her.

She got one last look at the figure. It was a small person with short hair, obviously male, holding a little girl around the neck.

Tess threw a knife, trusting in her aim. She heard a thump and the voice cried out in pain. But he kept running.

Jay's phone went off.

"Hello?"

"We found something." It was Nathanial. "Meet us on Sycamore Road.


End file.
